by John M Marzluff (Author), Tony Angell (Author)
From the cave walls at Lascaux to the last painting by Van Gogh, from the works of Shakespeare to those of Mark Twain, there is clear evidence that crows and ravens influence human culture. Yet this influence is not unidirectional, say the authors of this fascinating book: people profoundly influence crow culture, ecology, and evolution as well. Examining the often surprising ways that crows and humans interact, John Marzluff and Tony Angell contend that those interactions reflect a process of cultural coevolution. They offer a challenging new view of the human-crow dynamic-a view that may change our thinking not only about crows but also about ourselves.
Featuring more than 100 original drawings, the book takes a close look at the influences people have had on the lives of crows throughout history and at the significant ways crows have altered human lives. In the Company of Crows and Ravens illuminates the entwined histories of crows and people and concludes with an intriguing discussion of the crow-human relationship and how our attitudes toward crows may affect our cultural trajectory. As the authors state in their preface: Crows and people share similar traits and social strategies. To a surprising extent, to know the crow is to know ourselves.
Format: Illustrated
Pages: 384
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 23 Mar 2007
ISBN 10: 0300122551
ISBN 13: 9780300122558
A fascinating look at the corvid family, illustrated with Mr. Angell's delightful black-and-white drawings. -Stuart Ferguson, Wall Street Journal
[A] superb study that should deepen our understanding, and perhaps appreciation, of these fascinating birds. -Library Journal
[A] superb study that should deepen our understanding, and perhaps appreciation, of these fascinating birds. . . . These intrepid researchers go to extraordinary lengths. . . . Though Angell's more than 100 charming drawings and the authors' zest for their subjects may lend In the Company of Crows and Ravens popular appeal, this is a serious book well suited for academic or large public collections. -Library Journal
. . . intriguing and inspiring insights . . . rich tapestry of folklore and science . . . comprehensive account of the impact of crows on human culture. -Joanna Dally, Science
This is a work bursting with fresh ideas, rich in speculation, while also managing to survey, in highly accessible terms, the full spectrum of research into this fascinating bird group. -BBC Wildlife Magazine
A solid volume . . . [with] a vast amount of fascinating and provocative material . . . -Birds
Engrossing. -Rebecca Solnit, London Review of Books
. . . a book rich in descriptive language and juicy with insight and biological detail. -New Scientist
Crows and ravens stir up much interest, precisely for the reasons John Marzluff and Tony Angell give in this handsomely illustrated work. -Bernd Heinrich, author of Mind of the Raven
With engaging prose and compelling art, the authors tell us how our interactions with other species, especially crows and ravens, have influenced both us and them over the ages. . . . If you believe that we have great impacts on other species but that they have influenced us relatively little, then you should read this delightfully written and illustrated book. -Gordon H. Orians, University of Washington
Members of the crow family (corvids), which include ravens, jays and magpies, as well crows, have the reputation of being mischievous, machaevellian creatures, who steal other birds' eggs and raid agricultural crops. But these corvids are also renowned for their wisdom as well as their deceit. This fascinating book describes not only the role corvids have played in our folklore but more generally how corvids have influenced human culture and the impact of humans on corvids. I hope this book will afford corvids the respect they deserve. -Nicola Clayton, University of Cambridge
This is the most detailed account I know of concerning crows and their interaction with man. A very readable and thought-provoking book! -Noble S. Proctor, Ph.D., author of Manual of Ornithology and A Field Guide to North Atlantic Wildlife
John M. Marzluff is Denman Professor of Sustainable Resource Sciences and professor of wildlife science, College of Forest Resources, University of Washington. Tony Angell is a freelance artist and writer in Lopez Island, Washington. Together the authors combine more than 60 years of scientific and artistic fascination with crows and their bird relatives.